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Thursday, February 12, 2015

I love myself a good
meatless meal, and some would laugh at me for eating a giant plate of broccoli.
But then again, if you knew me, you would know it’s normal behavior for me! If
eating only broccoli and rice for dinner isn’t your style, this would also be
great as a healthy side dish. Try pairing it with teriyaki salmon or tofu!

What really makes this dish
fantastic is the sauce. Fresh ginger is key here! I also learned that you peel
ginger using a spoon – who knew? And! One of my clients told me that you can
keep ginger fresh by keeping it in sand.

This sauce would also be
good on other foods. I bet it would be amazing over tofu! This recipe made about three or four servings – but I devoured it all within two days.

Ingredients:

-8 C
fresh broccoli florets (About two heads of broccoli)

-4 C
cooked rice (I used black)

-1/4 C
sesame seeds
-1/4 C water

-2½ Tbsp
toasted sesame oil

-2 Tbsp
soy sauce

-2 Tbsp
fresh lime juice

-1 Tbsp
maple syrup

-1/2
tsp apple cider vinegar

-1
garlic clove

-1 tsp fresh
ginger, minced

Instructions:

1. Steam
the broccoli in a steamer or steamer basket for 10-15 minutes or until tender
or to desired doneness.

2. While
the broccoli is steaming, make the sesame-ginger sauce by adding the sesame
seeds, water, sesame oil, tamari, lime juice, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar,
garlic, and minced ginger to a blender. Blend for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.

3. Top rice
with the broccoli. Drizzle the ginger-sesame sauce over the top.

Monday, February 2, 2015

I found this recipe on
Pinterest (As always) and I thought it was fantastic! It all goes so well
together and it was amazing. Broccoli, apples, and potatoes all go well with
cheddar cheese. And honey-dijon (OH IT'S GOOD) goes well on all those items too! I happened to
have most of the ingredients on hand, which I loved! I hate to waste food!

This recipe requires a lot of chopping and roasting. I roasted the broccoli on its own baking sheet and later combined everything together for the final broil.

The original recipe, from
Making Thyme for Health, labeled this as “A Big Bowl of Comfort”, and I
certainly agree. This is a great dish for a cold evening – I may need to
recreate this soon, since we got nearly 20 inches of snow dumped on us this
weekend! And, the temperatures dropped as well. Brrr!

Ingredients:

4 C
broccoli florets

4 C red
potatoes, diced

1 15-ounce
can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp high
heat oil for roasting

Salt &
pepper to taste

2
Honeycrisp apples, diced

1 C
shredded cheddar cheese

Honey-Dijon
Dressing

2 Tbsp
Dijon mustard

1 tsp honey

1 Tbsp
apple cider vinegar

1/2 Tbsp
olive oil

Instructions:

1Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a
baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Arrange
the potatoes on the baking sheet and toss with one tablespoon of high-heat
cooking oil and salt & pepper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

3. Remove
the potatoes from the oven and add the chickpeas. Toss with 1/2 tablespoon of
oil. Then place back in the oven to cook for 10 more minutes.

4. Remove
the pan from the oven and add the broccoli. If it doesn’t fit then you can just
place it on a separate baking sheet and leave the potatoes and chickpeas in the
oven. Roast the broccoli for 20 minutes while allowing the potatoes and
chickpeas to continue to cook as well.

5. While the
vegetables and chickpeas are cooking, prepare the dressing and dice the apples.
Once the vegetables and chickpeas are done, remove from the oven and turn the
broiler on. Top the vegetables and chickpeas with the dressing and apples,
sprinkle with cheddar cheese and return to the oven for about 3 minutes so the
cheese melts.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

This recipe was originally supposed to be a
soup, but my crockpot couldn’t contain the amount of vegetable broth the
original recipe called for. So! A lentil “mash” it is!

It is currently blizzarding outside here in the
Chicagoland suburbs and this weather makes me want to cook ALL the things!
Today I made baked breakfast egg muffins and raw vegan Oreos, and after this,
I’m making baked falafel burgers with beets on the side.

On nights like this, hot soup is tops. And if
your day is busy, fixing up this crockpot meal is even better. You can set it
up, go about your day, and come home to hot lentils. Delicious! I love the
flavor the balsamic vinegar gives this dish. Definitely a winner.

Ingredients:

-2 C dry lentils (I had red on hand)

-4 C vegetable stock (Original calls for 8 C,
so if your crockpot can handle it, and you want a soup, add the extra broth)

-1 lb. bag baby carrots

-1 ½ C sliced celery

-1 Tbsp onion powder

-1/4 C balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and
cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

This winter, I was lucky enough to be selected to receive the Frosty VoxBox from Influenster. I love Influenster and it feels like every VoxBox I have received was meant for me. In the past, I've received a bride box and a fit box - both totally me!

McCormick Gourmet Thyme

I’m loving McCormick Gourmet’s new look! I love thyme and my favorite way to use it is on sweet potatoes. For breakfast, I love to make a hash with them and top them with yolky eggs. For dinner, I love to slice them into rounds and roast them. I recently used this thyme in my Garlic Mushroom Quinoa dish just below this post. This spice will definitely be getting some use this winter!

EcoTools Hair Brush

I love EcoTools! I brush my hair constantly because it tangles easily. I have a plethora of hairbrushes and I’m married to my Wet Brush, but this is going to get some use because I’m planning on keeping it in my gym bag.

No7 Protect & Perfect ADVANCED Satchet

I’m slowly approaching 30 and am starting to
implement a skincare routine into my life. I use Boots tinted moisturizer on
the days that I don’t feel like “putting on a full face,” so I’m sure that I
will like this as well!

Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

This seems to coincide with the eyeliner. I usually use baby wipes and/or cold cream to remove my makeup, but I was considering trying something new. Well look what arrived on my doorstep! Now I just need some cotton pads and I’ll be good to go! I wear a good amount of eye makeup every day (As I mentioned before), so I bet I’ll go through this fast.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner

I wear eyeliner every single day yet it somehow takes me forever to use them up. This will definitely be used!

NYC Expert Last Lip Color in Sugar Plum

I am obsessed with the idea of lipsticks but
then never wear them. I tend to have a lot more fun doing my eye makeup. I like
this color though, and will keep it in my purse!

Celestial Seasonings! They have such nice teas.
I especially love their sugar cookie sleigh ride tea. I’ll be enjoying this
ASAP – peppermint is so festive for the season! I like that it’s a green tea
too – healthy! Plus - a coupon!

*I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing and reviewing purposes*

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Mushrooms aren’t my favorite but I’m working on that. My husband loves them, though, so this side dish was right up his alley. I found this
recipe on Pinterest and pinned it and made it shortly after that. I find it to
be an excellent side dish and I served it alongside faux chik’n. I love recipes
that don’t require me to buy too many extra ingredients, and I had most of the
items required here on hand, save for the mushrooms. It's vegan if you omit the Parmesan cheese!

Ingredients:

-2 C water

-1 C quinoa

-1 Tbsp olive oil

-8 oz. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

-5 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp dried thyme

-Salt and pepper

-2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
1. In a large saucepan, combine water and quinoa. Bring to a boil, and then
reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 12-15 minutes until quinoa is
done.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add
mushrooms, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender,
about 3-4 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Combine quinoa with the mushroom mixture and mix well. Top with Parmesan
cheese and eat!